Wire drawing machine



Aug. 4, 1942.

W. MORGAN ETAL WIRE DRAWING MACHINE Original Filed Sept. 15, 1939 F a? 9 i I 5! 3c, LT?- I is; 20 15 32. {I I7 m m T 24 i 33 Fly. 2

l I Z INVEN TORS WELD MORGAN JOHN N- WHALEIN Y Mg ATTORNEY Patented $113.4, 1942 WIRE DRAWING MACHINE Weld Morgan, Worcester, and John N. Whalcn,

Boylston, Mass, asslgnors to Morgan Construction Company, Worcester, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Original application September 13, 1939, Serial No. 294,696. Divided and this application December 4, 1940, Serial No. 368,418

Claims.

This invention relates to wire drawing machines and more particularly to an improved construction and mounting for a wire drawing 13, 1939, now Patent No. 2,247,248, granted June 24, 1941.

It is a common practice to employ a rotatable spindle and to secure a wire drawing block directly thereto by means of our ordinary key. These blocks are usually of considerable weight, and it is a diilicult matter to mount them in position, since it is necessary at assembly not only to maintain the block in exact alignment with the spindle but also to maintain the keyway in exact alignment with the key. Because of the construction of the various parts it is very difiicult for a mechanic to ascertain when the proper alignment is obtained.

It is accordingly one object of the invention to overcome these difliculties and to provide an improved mounting for a wire drawing block, whereby the removal and replacement of the block will be facilitated.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a wire drawing machine having a rotatable block and a comparatively simple and inexpensive construction for supporting and driving the block, the various parts being so arranged that the block can be placed in position readily by a comparatively unskilled mechanic.

With these and other objects in view, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the in vention resides in the combination of parts set forth in the specification and covered by the claims appended hereto.

Referring to the drawing illustrating one embodiment of the invention and in which like reference numerals indicate like parts.

Fig, 1 is a top plan view of a preliminary wire drawing block with its cap removed, as indicated by the line l--l of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a section taken substantially on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1, with the cap in place; and

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

The blocks disclosed herein is of the air cooled type and it is particularly adapted for use in continuous wire drawing machines of the type shown in the prior patent to Myles Morgan et al. No. 2,185,416, granted January 2, 194,0 In such machines the wire is drawn through a series of dies by means of a plurality of rotatable blocks, including one or more preliminary blocks and a finishing block.

-block. This application is a division of our application Serial No. 294,696, filed September In the drawing there is shown a preliminary drawing block comprising an annular capstan portion in the form of a hollow vertical cylinder 15. From this cylinder an upper-flange I6 and a lower flange 11 extend outwardly. At the centerof the block is a hub l9 likewise in the form of a hollow vertical cylinder, this hub being connected to the surrounding capstan portion by mean of a plurality of radial spokes 20 which extend outwardly from the hub and lie in axial planes. In order to support and drive the block, we provide a spider 2| having a hub 22 which is keyed to the upper end of a vertical rotatable spindle 24. The outer surface of the spider is cylindrical and of the proper size to receive the hub [9 of the block. Furthermore, this surface is elongated sufliciently in the axial direction to support the hub both above and below the draft line. At the upper end of the hub 19 there is provided 3, lug which projects radially toward the axis of the block, thi lug being arranged to fit within a notch 26 which provides two opposed shoulders in the upper portion of the spider, to prevent relative rotation of these parts. The

block is held in place on the spider by means oi a circular cap 28 which is fastened to the upper end of the spindle 24 by a screw 29, the outer portion of the cap being in contact with the outer portion of the upper flange 16.

The flange I5 is provided with a series of circumferentially spaced openings 3|, and the flange I! is provided with a series of circumferentially spaced openings 32 which are preferably staggered with respect to the openings 3|. These openings are arranged to direct streams of air into cooling contact with the wire which is wrapped about the capstan portion 15. For this purpose the block is mounted above a circular opening 33 (Fig. 2) in the top plate 34 of the hollow frame of the machine, and this frame is supplied with air under pressure from any suitable source, all as disclosed in the above-mentioned prior Patent No. 2,185,416. Some of the air flows upwardly through the lower openings 32, and some of the air flows upwardly through the interior of the capstan portion l5 and is directed by the cap 28 into the upper openings 33, from which it issues in a, downward direction.

The air which passes through the interior of the capstan portion 15 is arranged to absorb heat therefrom at a high rate and thus indirectly cool the wire which is wrapped about the same. For this purpose we provide a multiplicity of thin ribs 36 which extend inwardly from the capstan portion and afford a very large area for the transfer 01' heat to the air as it flows between the ribs.

In the operation of our improved preliminary drawing block, the spindle 24 will be rotated by any suitable means. The wire will pass through the associated die and then engage the flange H6 or the flange i'l, depending upon the particular position which the block occupies in. relation to other blocks in the machine; The wire then passes several times aroundthe capstan portion i5 and thence to the next die. Air flows upwardly under pressure from the frame 3 3 some of this air escaping through the openings lit and some passing upwardly through the interior of the block to the cap 28, which deflects it 'downwardly through the openings 3E. The air jets from the openings 3! and 82 cool the convolutions of the wire on the outside of the capstan portion it. At the same time, the capstan portion is cooled'by transfer of heat therefrom into the ribs it and thence to the air which flows upwardly in contact with these ribs. Because of the very large exposed area of the ribs, the rate of heat transfer is extremely rapid.

The construction is such as to facilitate the removal and replacement of the bloclr. The block is placed in position by sliding it axially over the spider 2i, and since the notch 26 i located at the outer end of the spider it is readily visible. Hence it is a simple matter to align the lug 25 with the notch at assembly by turning the block after sliding it part way over the spider. Since the spider engages the block both above and below the draft line. there will be no tilting of the block under the influence of the wire tension.

Having thus described our invention; what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Awire drawing machine comprising a rotatable spindle having one end projecting outwardly, a member surrounding the said end of the spindle and fixed thereto, and a block surrounding the member and supported thereby, the block being removable from the member by an outward sliding movement, the block and member having interfltting parts located adjacent their outer portions and arranged to transmit torque.

. the member to the block.

3. A wire drawing machine comprising a rotatable spindle having one end projecting outwardly, a member surrounding the said end of the spindle and fixed thereto, the member having a cylindrical surface coaxial with the spindle, a block having a central cylindrical bore arranged to slide axially over said cylindrical surface at assembly, the member having mean providing a shoulder in its outer portion, and the block having a lug in its outer portion arranged to engage the shoulder and transmit torque from the member to the block,-and a cap removably secured to the outer end of the spindle and arranged to hold the block in position on the mem-' ber.

4. A wire drawing machine comprising a rotatable spindle having one end projecting outwardly, a member surrounding the said end of the spindle and fixed thereto, the member having a cylindrical surface coaxial with the spindle, and a block having a central cylindrical bore arranged to slide axially over said cylindrical surface at assembly, the member engaging the block at both sides of the draft line of the block, the member having means providing a shoulder in its outer portion, and the block having a lug in its outer portion arranged to engage the shoulder and transmit torque from the member to the block.

5. A wire drawing machine comprising a. ro-

tatable spindle having one end projecting outwardly, a member surrounding the said end of the spindle and fixed thereto, the member having a cylindrical surface coaxial with the spindle, and a block having a'central cylindrical bore arranged to slide axially over said cylindrical surface at assembly, the member having a notch in its outer portion, and the block having a lug in. its outer portion, the lug extending radially toward the axis of the block and into the said notch at assembly to transmit torque from the member to the block.

WELD MORGAN.

JOHN N. WHALEN. 

